The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-25
the list. I married at eighteen. and during the
fifteen years my husband was spared to me life
was an earthly Paradise"
And so. after all. the question remains prob
lem. which each woman must solve for herself
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
OLD BILL ALLEN. THE JANIToR.
Story Of an Old Mans Devotion and the Man
ner in Which He Manifested 1t,
Special to the Indianapolis JournaL


Allen. who died some time ago in leading
Hunterdon county town, is curious one it
is told by those who know it. It is OF those
tales of bright enterprising town that is always
of interest. 1t mineles poor old mans in
fatuation for rich young girl with the odd and
amusing freaks caused by such infatuation Bill
Allen was small. weazen-faced old man. but
his muscles were as tough as iron. He lived
right along past the period when most men give
up the ghost He was janitor in tho leading
bank and had been since its organization Bill
was old and green, but he made splendid
ia nitor. Burglars tried to get the bulge on Bill
a number of times. but he was always there.
About the time the burglar had bar or two of
the iron windows sawed through. Bill would ap-
pear in q quaint robe of night, armed to the
teeth, and fash a dark lantern in the in
truder's face. He did not shoot unless it was
necessary, but when he did fire, tho
bullet went just where he intended it
should. The old janitor much preferred carry
ing on q quiet conversation with the burglar
He compelled the robber to talk, too He would
cover the masked face with his pistol and then
tell him to answer his questions promptly and
precisely. After Bill had repeated a regular
catechsm he had learned he told the burglar to
get down and make tracks out of town. He
would follow him outside and see that he obeyed
his orders If the bur glar obstinate Bill
would put bullet in one of his legs so that he
had to fall down and then trrn him to the
sill tary town constable who was around all
night The testimony Bill would give at the
hearing was sure to draw crowd 1t was full
of fun. and he made the burglar feel good deal
more uncomfortable than the judge did when he
sen fenced him.
Blu. Bills main oddity was his fondness for the
girls in one of the leading families of the town.
We will call the family Howard. the name
makes difference. Bills affection was alto
gether platonic. In fact. he regarded the female
mem bers of the family In about the same light
he regarded the bank. He felt that he a
sort of seif-appointed janitor to look after the
family's interests and guard them from harm or
danger. Bills guardianship began with Mrs.
Howard, the mother, when she was ayoung girl.
He followed her around at night, waited in front
of the houses where she went, and followed her
home Watchdog fashion. AT first he was angry
at young Howard when he began his courtship.
He chased him for several nights after he left
his future wife, and one occasion fred half q
dozen stones at him. Bill told some of his
friends that one should marry the girl but
himself. He knew she in love with him,
but was restrained by her parents from marry
ing him.
But when the Wedding was over Bill dropped
his attentions He had good cry the day of
the marriage, and would remain in town
while the ceremony took place. For week
after he had the sulks and growled il he Was
spoken to-. Then he settled down to his rou-
tine life, showing signs of perturbation, ex-
cept when some of the boys ventured to tease
him the subject Then he became furious
and tried thrash his tormsntors. Soon the
topic was dropped. however and gradually for
gotten. 1t wasn't revived for nearly a genera
tion. Then Bill began to play the janitor
Louise, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Howard About the time the girl left school
sni made her appearance in society Mr. Howard
died. Old Bill Aliens face was wreathed with
smiles the day of the funeral, and new
vigor and sprghtiiness took possession
of him. He, began TO
keep watch over the widow and her two caugh-
A uor,if = ba
to have vanished and his guardianship in that
direction was more in the of a duty
he said he had received instructions from
heaven to protect the three females. But his
affection for Louise soon became marked. Ii
partook of his oldtime admiration for the
mother. He became much bolder than he was
a score of years before He would stand all day
on the opposite side of the street and watch the
house of the Howards The moment the
mother or eldest daughter appeared he was on
the alert. He kept close behind Louise wher-
ever she went and casionally spoke to her.
He was always mutterng to himself when
her. At hrst the maiden regarded 1t all as a
joke. Then she became annoyed, and finally
she was frightened. But matters came u
crisis when promising young lawyer
began paying marked attention to Louise. Bill
was simply furious, and he made the lawyers
existence miserable. Every night the young
man called at the Howard residence Bill went
sentry duty across the street He arranged
all sorts of contrivances 30 he would know a
dark night when Clark. the attorney, left He
would place large stones on top of the gate in
such position that when the gate opened
they would fall to the pavement with crash,
and so give warning. Between his nights of
vigilance at the bank and his days of vigilance
at the Howards, Bill occasionally fell asleep,
and the falling stones awakened him Then he
would start after the lawyer and keep right on
his heels ali the way home.
The young attorney could not stand this
process 1t made him nervous and he was afraid
of injury. So one day he had Bill Allen arrest
ed and bound over TO keep the peace. This
pretty nearly broke the old mans heart. He
kept in his room the bank for a week. brood
ing over the insult. as he termed it. Then one
night he resumed his post of observation oppo.
site the Howard mansion and awaited Lawyer
CIark's appearance The moment he stepped
outside the gate Allen approached and said they
must fight it ont Clark was an athletic young
fellow, and he thought he would teach the aged
janitor lesson. So he grappled with him,
a mistake. the old man was muscular
and wry. and in twinkling Clark
the small of his back and Bill was making
mince meat of his handsome face. Clark called
for help and Louise rushed to his assistance.
The instant she told Bill to get up and move
off he did so, tipping his hat as he walked away.
This time Clark had the ianitor arrested for
assault and battery. The bank went his bail,
telling him, however that unless he behaved he
would be dismissed A change at once took
place. Bill became politeness itself to Clark.
and the latter declined to push the charge
against the old man when the grand jury met.
When Louise married old Bill Allen put on
his best clothes and went to the church. AS the
bridal party left the church Bill stepped up
and handed the bride bouquet that he had
purchased
Then the Howards had rest. until Carrie,
the younger daughter, became engaged to
Richard Newton. a middle aged merchant Bill
at once began the same old game He followed
Carrie day and night and tracked Newton home
every evening. But the merchant did not pro-
pose to 90 through all the trials Clark had ex-
perienced SO day he entered the bank and
had tho president call Allen into the directors
room Then in the presence Of the president
and several of the directors Newton stated that
unless Allen ceased annoying him he demanded
his discharge, as he proposed to prefer a charge
against him and have him arrested.
The directors stated that Bill must promise
to bothering the merchant or
they would have nothing moro to do
with him. The janitorship everything 10
Bill Allen. and he readily consented to anything
the bank officials asked. Soon after. Newton
and Carrie married, ard later on Mrs.
Howard died Then Bill lost all ambition. He